People rely more and more on their smart phones and these devices are being used for more and more hours of the day. Unfortunately, smart phones tend to be “battery hogs” that consume a significant amount of energy. In many regards, the biggest limitation to these devices is their (relatively short) battery life. They all typically require a daily charging.
Numerous charging devices already exist for phones and smart phones. Typically, these charging devices include standard plug-in wall cords, and/or power cords that plug into computer USB ports. Many users do not find it convenient to rely on these long charging cables. It's inconvenient to carry them around, and it's also inconvenient to always have to return your smart phone to the same spot to charge it up at the end of the day. Therefore, other solutions on the market include battery packs that fasten directly onto the phone or are connected to the phone by a short plug in cable. The main problem with these devices is their added bulk and weight.
An example of a charging device for a consumer electronics product is found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,938,653. This device is simply a folding plug at the end of a charging cord. The plug has a pair of plug blades that fold down one on top of the other. The blades rotate in the same direction as they are deployed. This blade folding arrangement unfortunately requires a deep trough into which both blades are folded (one sitting on top of another). In addition, this trough extends fully out the side of the device such that the user must insert their finger and pull upwardly on one of the blades, thereby causing both blades to rotate into position. A primary disadvantage of this system is that the two blades are folded one on top of another. This requires a deep channel/trough into which both blades must be folded. Another disadvantage of this system is that this channel/trough must extend fully out of the side of the device. In addition, one of the blades must have its tip positioned near the end of the channel/trough at the side of the device such that the user's fingers can grip onto it. As a result, the position of the two blades is effectively fixed with respect to the sides of the device.
It would instead be desirable to overcome the limitations of the '653 patent's folding plug blades. For example, it would be desirable to provide a plug that can be stored without requiring a deep channel into which two blades are folded one on top of one another. It would also be desirable to provide a system in which the user does not have to grasp onto the ends of one of the blades to deploy them. Instead, it would be desirable to provide a system in which the blades automatically deploy at the push of a button under the user's command. It would also be desirable to provide a system in which the blades can be centrally located on the back of the device being charged if desired. Lastly, it would be desirable to completely avoid the charging cord itself, for example when charging an iPhone™ or other smart phone.
What is instead desired when charging smart phones in particular is a system that uses standard wall power AC outlets, but also avoids the use of a large, bulky extra battery pack. It is also desirable for such a system to completely avoid the use of long power cables running from a charger to the device being charged.